Week 1: let's do this

Bonjour toute le monde!
Currently, I am sitting a pub with two of my friends, drinking beer and surfing the web for potential apartments. I am still homeless and living at a crap hostel, but things are looking up! My friend Meg and I saw a fantastic 2 bedroom place, right in centre ville which we are leaning towards- after a few drinks, of course we are leaning towards this great place. We would have to furnish it ourselves but hello, Ikea right down the road? I'm pretty much sold. I got into Tours Friday morning and immediately set out to explore. The town is fantastic- small enough where you can walk everywhere but large enough where you see something new everyday. It's a very social town with a great night life- obviously, I'm in love already. It's fantastic to go out and get drinks and socialize with other Americans and the French. The second night I was here, we met someone who knew someone who had a French house party- so out of the ordinary, but it was fantastic! I love getting to know the locals here, as well as the other Americans. Everyone is so nice and outgoing, we have all met up for drinks and dinner- this town is wonderful. The endless search for a fabulous apartment is still going on- Craig's List for France is ideal, but sometimes sketchy. My friends and I have been hunting non stop, but it is definitely worth it. It just hit me that I will be here for 8 months, but I'm getting more and more comfortable every day. Task of the week: to not be homeless. Hopefully, my next post will be from my petit French apartment....
Bisous!

8 months + 2 suitcases= you must be joking.

Salut salut,

Alors, the time has come...to pack. My flight leaves tomorrow morning at 9am and I have finally begun the tedious task of stuffing eight months worth of clothes, shoes, books, etc into two suitcases which, to my dismay, cannot excede 50 lbs. Struggle nation anyone? My room looks like it exploded- clothes are everywhere, and the poor pieces which did not make the cut are left in a clump on my bed. I am also in search of an important document-my birth certificate-which of course, has been misplaced somewhere amongst the chaos. I have made sure to bring the essentials, bien sûr: 10 pairs of shoes (seriously); books I'm dying to read and books I've already read; falls clothes, winter clothes, spring clothes; photos and of course, crunchy peanut butter. My mom is making boeuf bourgignon à la Julia Child for dinner. So, not only will I be stuffed to the max I probably won't sleep out of anticipation and the fact that I tend to procrastinate and leave things to the last minute. Things that are still M.I.A.: camera chargers, scarves and converters. Again, lost somewhere in the clutter and confusion that is my room.

Once I have checked and double checked my lists, I'll be done...for now. I cannot wait to arrive in France. I also cannot wait to lug my suitcases and backpack from the airport onto the TGV, and then onto the bus (not)- the French tend to think Americans overpack and well, I will be the walking example of this stereotype. I'm sure I will somehow get lost/smack someone in the head/lose a piece of luggage but I guess half the battle is getting where you need to be...

I am so excited to begin these next eight months! Next task once I get to Tours: find an apartment. Shouldn't be too hard, right?

Bisous!